By Bartholomew Madukwe

A Defence counsel, Mr. O. Ajanaku, who appeared for a police officer charged with murder, has told a Lagos High Court sitting in Igbosere that the state Attorney General (AG), Mr. Ade Ipaye, granted plea bargain to his client.

The Police officer, Sgt. Olowojoyin Abolade, 43, was said to have on August 28, 2009 at Ademuyiwa Junction, Iponri, Lagos, allegedly murdered one Yusuf Omole by shooting him at close range in the chest with a gun.
According to the charge marked LCD/99/20z10, the alleged offence is contrary to Section 319 (1) of the criminal code law Cap C. Vol. 2, Laws of Lagos State 2003.

However, at the resumed hearing, the defense counsel pointed out that there is a change in the trial, saying they wrote to the office of Lagos AG for plea bargain and same was granted to them.
Ajanaku said: “The plea bargain letter was dated June 23, 2013 The AG responded and came up with certain terms and we have come to the court today to inform the court of our position. The response was received in July 17.”

The prosecutor, Mrs Akin Adesomoju, confirmed that the defense counsel’s plea bargain was granted by Ipaye, and urged the court to allow her substitute the charge considering the evidence before the court.
Meanwhile, the presiding judge, Justice Ebenezer Adebajo, took the testimony of the prosecution’s witness, noting that there was nothing stopping him from doing so.

The witness, Dr. Sunday Soyemi, informed the court that he is a pathologist and does post mortem examination. He said the internal examination carried on the deceased revealed blood on the left side of his chest.

”There was di structure of the blood vessel. Other findings were not contributory to the cause of the death. The death was as a result of penetration to the deceased’s chest. Autopsy report was written and issued out. I am a registered pathologist” Soyemi said.

When the judge asked the defense counsel to go on with his cross examination, Ajanaku prayed the court for an adjourned date to enable him come for cross examination since he did not prepare for it, saying “if I go on cross examination today, the defendant may not be adequately represented. On entering the plea bargain, what we are asking for is an adjourned date”.

It will be recalled that at the last adjourned date, the court received a pistol and a 38mm bullet allegedly used by Sgt Abolade in killing the deceased. The sergeant who last served at the Nigeria Police Division, Iponri had pleaded not guilty but was remanded in Ikoyi prison